Chapter 16 - The Pāñcāla King Attains Sāyujya

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrutadeva said:

1-3. With his mind flooded with the delight at his vision, the king got up immediately and bowed down his head. With his excited eyes he looked at the Supreme Lord of the worlds, the immanent soul of the universe, for a long time. He washed his feet and held that water on his head. Indeed the river that arises from his feet sanctifies the entire universe including Brahmā. He worshipped the Lord with plenty of materials, very costly and invaluable garments, ornaments and unguents, garlands, incense, lights and nectar-like foodstuffs etc. He dedicated unto the Lord his entire person, limbs, wealth and his very soul. He eulogized Viṣṇu, the ancient Puruṣa, Nārāyaṇa, devoid of Guṇas, one without a second:

4. “I salute the unsullied overlord of the makers of the universe,^[1] the supreme one, saluted by the Lotus-born Lord and others. I salute the overlord of the creators of the universe, whose Māyā has deluded excellent men conversant with reality.

5. Wonderful indeed is the activity of the Lord. Stupid ones become deluded in the Guṇas activized by the Māyā. The one and only Lord devoid of desires and ambition creates by himself this (visible universe) in diverse forms, protects it and consumes it. He is not defiled thereby.

6-7. You are one who have completely realized your desires. Yet, for the sake of the acquisition of happiness by Devas and misery by all the Asuras (you do endeavour). In that connection, at the proper time, you adopt Sattva Guṇa for the sake of protecting your own people; for the sake of curbing the rogues and knaves you adopt Tamoguṇa and for the sake of binding the Rākṣasas you adopt Rajoguṇa, O Cosmic-formed One, devoid of Guṇas. Fortunately, your foot is destructive of the sins of those who bow down. When it is held in the heart by means of well-practised and (highly advanced) mature Yogic exercises, it becomes the abode of Tīrthas.

8-10. Those who have matured well by means of devotion their emotional existence as individual souls, have attained salvation merely by remembering your feet.

But I am fettered by the noose of the deadly black serpent called worldly existence accompanied by the repeatedly recurring births, old age and other miseries. I wander from one species of beings to another because I have forgotten your feet. My yearning (for worldly pleasures) increases like that of a mouse on seeing the edible stuff (placed in front of it for trapping it). Certainly no charitable gift has been given by me; nor your story has been heard. No honourable men of good disposition have ever been served by me. Therefore my vast fortune and glory was destroyed by enemies and I entered the forest. Recollecting my enormous sins, I remembered my preceptors. When they were remembered they approached me. They are the kinsmen of the distressed ones. They addressed me (and consoled me).

11. They enlightened me in the splendid Vaiśākha rites laid down in the Śrutis. They are the causes of attaining the aims of life such as heavenly pleasures, salvation etc. Induced by them I have performed all the holy rites pertaining to the month of Vaiśākha conducive to auspiciousness.

12-14. Hence, I have been enormously favoured. There have come all these excellent riches. Neither fire, nor the sun, nor the moon and the stars, nor the earth, nor water, nor ether, nor wind, neither speech nor mind (are like you). On being served they remove sin after a long time. Learned ones destroy (sins) when they are served only for a short while. But you consider these learned men Bhavins (men engrossed in worldly existence), though they have mostly eschewed their desires and kept their minds fixed in your feet.

Obeisance to the independent one of wonderfully variegated activities. Obeisance to the greatest one blessing the noble ones. Deluded by your Māyā, I have my vision riveted to meaningless objects. Hence I wander among the Guṇas in the form of wives and wealth.

15-19. I do so in spite of the fact that your lotus-like feet are the destroyer of the root cause, Avidyā. You are the dispeller of all the sins and are devoid of impurities. With a desire for happiness I am possessed of ‘My-ness’ with respect to sons and wives who are but the causes of calamities.

A person engrossed in worldly pursuits with increased thirst and desire for the same, does not get peaceful sleep or welfare. Though I have been born a king, which is rare, though you are the cause of the attainment of all aims of life involving effort, I do not worship your lotus-like feet because my mind is deluded and I am covetous of worldly pleasures. I perform my duties firmly and devotedly, but yearning for pleasures does increase proportionately.

‘I shall become again (a more prosperous one); I shall today become one’—such and hundreds of similar thoughts make my mind waver. At that time, O Lord, let there be your mercy on the individual soul. O Lord of cosmic form, your power is limitless.

By your mercy there shall be the association of great men whereby the ocean of worldly existence becomes a small pit made by the hoofs of cows. Once there is the association with good people, O Lord, the mind is inclined towards you, the lord and master.

20. I consider, the removal of the entire kingdom (from my possession) has become a blessing to me, got easily from you because you are being approached by Brahmā, Suras and Asuras and hosts of honourable and saintly men, when they cease to have thirst and yearning (for worldly pleasures).

21. Hereafter, I shall remember only Acyuta with eagerness and respect. O Lord, your lotus-like feet are destructive of worldly existence. They are worthy of being prayed to by impoverished persons. They bestow a great deal of fortune. I do not desire anything other than your lotus-like feet.

22. Therefore I do not desire the kingdom, the treasury, sons etc. (I have noṃing to do) with the body that falls always (i.e. is transient) and that is the result of Rajoguṇa. I continuously worship those lotus-like feet which are fit to be pondered upon and adored by sages.

23. O Lord of Devas, O abode of the universe, be pleased so that I shall always remember your lotus-like feet. O my Lord, let my attachment for these groups cease, the groups symbolized by wives, sons and wealth.

24-26. Let my mind be directed towards the lotus-like feet of Kṛṣṇa; my speech to the narration of your divine story; these eyes of mine in viewing your form and image; the ears in listening to your stories; and the tongue towards what has been offered to you (as Naivedya); my nose towards the fragrance of your lotus-like feet; my hands shall be engaged in applying the unguents etc. frequently on your devotees as well as in sweeping and other activities in your temple permanently. Let my feet be engaged in going to the holy spots of the Lord as well as to the places where the story of the Lord (is being recited). Let my head be engaged in saluting you constantly. Let my love be directed towards your holy story. Let my intellect be turned towards constant thought on you.

27. Let my days dawn with your stories being sung by sages who come to my abode. Let there not be even a moment or half of it devoid of episodes about you, O Viṣṇu.

28. I do not crave or yearn for the position of Brahmā or that of an emperor. I do not wish for salvation too, O Viṣṇu. I earnestly desire for perpetual service of your feet, which is requested for even by Śrī and Suras including Brahmā, Bhava etc.”

29. On being eulogized by the king thus, the delighted lotus-eyed Viṣṇu spoke to that king in a voice as majestic as the sound of a cloud.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

30. I know that you are the most excellent one among my servants. You are free from desires and sins. Still I shall grant you a boon inaccessible even to Devas.

31. You will have a life of ten thousand years, O king, according to the reckoning of Devas. You will have riches. Your devotion to me shall be steady. In the end you will have Sāyujya.

32. There is no doubt about this that I will grant worldly pleasures and salvation to those who eulogize me with this prayer composed by you. I shall be delighted with them.

33. This Tṛtīyā (third lunar day) shall become well-known in the world by the name Akṣaya,^[2] being the day on which I am delighted with you and have granted worldly pleasures and salvation.

34. Even ignorant men who perform such holy rites as ablution, charitable gifts etc. naturally or under some pretext, attain my immutable region.

35. If men perform Śrāddha rites with the manes in view on the Akṣayatṛtīyā day, that will be conducive to infinite benefit.

36. There is no other Tithi in the world equal or superior to this. Even if very little is done on this day, it shall have everlasting benefit.

37. If, O excellent king, anyone gives a cow to a Brāhmaṇa householder, worldly pleasures showering all sorts of riches as well as salvation shall be within his reach.

38. He who gives away a bullock, destructive of all sins, shall be liberated from death and he shall attain long life.

39. If persons perform holy rites causing pleasure to me in the month of Vaiśākha, I dispel the fear of death, birth and old age of those persons.

40. I am not delighted with the rites of all other months as much as with the Vaiśākha rites. The month of Vaiśākha is my most favourite month.

41. Those who have forsaken all other holy rites and those who are devoid of the vow of celibacy, attain my immutable region, if only they are engaged in holy rites pertaining to the month of Vaiśākha.

42. Men engaged in Vaiśākha rites attain that great abode which is very difficult to attain by means of sacrifices, austerities and Sāṅkhya and Yoga.

43. Just like the remembrance of my feet, O sinless one, this month removes even a thousand sins without expiatory rites.

44-46. You became engaged in the Vaiśākha rites on being advised by your preceptors in the forest and you propitiated the Lord of the universe. Thereby everything was obtained by you, O king. Pleased with this holy rite I have become visible to you. You shall enjoy all worldly pleasures, as you please. They are difficult to be obtained even by Devas.

After having granted boons to him ṃus, Janārdana, the Lord of Devas, vanished there itself even as all were watching.

47-51. Thereupon, this excellent king became extremely surprised, O king. Like one who has regained the wealth that was lost, he became delighted and strong in the body. Everyday he was enlightened by great men and his own preceptors.

He ruled the earth with his mind dwelling on him and with him as his greatest resort. The king did not love anyone better than Vāsudeva by whose contact alone wives, ministers, sons and others became pleasing to him. He performed all the holy rites laid down for the month of Vaiśākha again and again. As a result of the merit thereof, he was surrounded by sons, grandsons and others. He enjoyed all his desires inaccessible even to Devas. In the end he attained Sāyujya with the Lord holding the discus.

52. All those who listen to or expound this great narrative shall be rid of sins, and then attain the greatest region of Viṣṇu.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The eulogy of Viṣṇu is a blend of Upaniṣadic and Purāṇic concepts of the deity and the influence of Māyāvāda. The outpourings of the heart of a sincere Bhakta (devotee) in this prayer are touching.

[2]:

VV 33-38 glorify the importance of Akṣaya Tṛtīyā day.